There is something unique about crossing a river and we all have made those crossings when traveling in our cars over bridges. Sometimes the river may be quite wide, but the feeling we get is still the same. It’s that leaving one side and then reaching the land on the other side… a crossing over experience.

I recall crossing the Murray River at Loxton, South Australia via a cable ferry or punt. Driving your vehicle on to the punt and then being slowly pulled across the wide river was like a mini adventure trip. Today you use a bridge, but you still have that same experience of leaving one side and reaching the other.

The Bible has a bit to say about crossing over stretches of water. God’s method was to stop or hold back the flow of water which He did at the Red Sea, enabling Israel to escape from Egypt. The second crossing was at the Jordan River where God again held back the water enabling the nation of Israel to cross over.

The Jordan River crossing was extra special because it was the river crossing which would enable Israel to set their feet on the promised land. They were under orders to follow the ark of the covenant as it went ahead of them.

The arc of the covenant was carried by the priests and was a sacred chest where God revealed His presence in a cloud above the mercy seat and between the cherubim. This was where the high priest sprinkled blood annually on the day of atonement. The moment the priest’s feet touched the river’s edge it stopped flowing and the people crossed over on dry land into Canaan.

Jesus Christ our high priest goes before us enabling us to leave our old life behind and cross over into a new one. The Covenant in His shed blood replaces the old… trust Jesus, follow Him!

Ref. Josh. 3:14-17, Heb. 8:10. NIV.